Summer Exchange
by FleetingStarDust
Summary: When Harry learned of an international summer exchange program, he wasted no time in applying. He tried not to fret about his grades or behavior, made easier by the drama surrounding the escaped convict Sirius Black. He had all but forgotten about the program when he was called before the Deputy Headmistress. Surprise! Harry is off to Fiore and Fairy Tail!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter series or Fairy Tail series.**

 **AN: This story is purely for fun and because I wanted to do something a little different. In the Harry Potter timeline, it takes place during the summer between his third and fourth years. In the Fairy Tail timeline it occurs after the characters return from Edolas, but before anything happens with the S-class trials. Obviously, this isn't cannon, but I'm going to try and not change too much in either story. So, sit back, enjoy and let's go to Fairy Tail!**

Chapter 1: Off to Fiore

Three Months Ago

The common room was louder than normal as Harry ducked through the portrait entrance. A great, "Ahhh!" followed by a fountain of laughter had Harry searching the room for the source. His eyes landed on Fred and George who seemed to be in the midst of a hex version of the muggle game chicken. His lips curled at the sight of the Weasley twins. One was purple with pink polka-dots and a daisy growing out of his ear, while the other had been shrunk down to the size of a rather adorable house elf covered in tiny red hearts.

Shaking his head, he jostled his heavy books into a more secure hold in his arms. Snape's essay might be the death of him, if the weight of these books had anything to say about it. Harry dashed up the stairs praying that he would make it to his bed before his arms fell off. After dropping the dusty volumes on his mattress, his shoulders cried their gratefulness.

Another cheer rose from the common room below. Harry gave the books, now scattered before him, one look before deciding that homework could wait. Turning on his heel, Harry pushed the door open and descended the stairs, skipping a few to return to the common room all the faster.

"Fred! How could you?" George's voice whined as Harry's feet hit the bottom stair.

"Sorry George. All's fair in love and hexes!" Laughed Fred.

"This is seriously a hit below the belt. Change me back!" Lamented George.

Harry was beyond curious. What could Fred have done to make George sound so betrayed. The crowd was thick and Harry's height did not allow him to see over their heads. All he could glean through the mass of bodies were two heads of red hair, which wasn't anything suspect in itself.

Fred's laughter carried over the cumulative mirth of the audience.

"Oh yeah? Well two can play that game!" declared George with mischief alight in his voice.

A crack snapped through the air, and for a moment, everything and everyone was still. Whatever had happened shocked the room into temporary silence. Harry was still trying to push his way through the crowd and found himself wedged uncomfortably between a few 6th years. Without prelude, the stunned quiet shattered.

Onlookers laughed at the twins, "Looks like we lost one set of twins, but gained two more!" crowed one girl.

"Someone has got to get a picture of this!" laughed another Gryffindor.

"Thank you, whoever is up there, for letting me bear witness to this moment." Whispered the tall 6th year next to him.

Harry was just about to burst when the older student noticed him. The 6th year's smile grew even wider as he stepped a little to the side, allowing Harry to pass. Laughter was bubbling up in his stomach before his brain had fully processed what he saw.

A purple and pink Percy was wrestling with a heart covered Ron on the floor. However, a normal Ron stood in the front row on the opposite side of the circle looking completely gob smacked. Returning his eyes to the wrestling pair Harry understood what had happened. The twins had hexed each other into two of their brothers, namely Percy and Ron.

"Come on now Ronnikins! Take your medicine!" teased George as Percy.

"Don't be such a prick!" grunted Fred, seemingly Ron, back as he toppled his brother.

"How am I supposed to study for my NUTES with all this racket!" The room froze at the sound of the real Percy entering the room. "I'm head boy, make a path!" he demanded.

Harry stood aside like all the other Gryffindor's to allow the puffed up 7th year through. Percy's horn-rimmed glasses sat on his nose, flashing slightly in a weak imitation of Professor McGonagall.

Percy stood stock still as he bore witness to the display his twin brothers were sporting.

"How ya doin' Perce!" the twins ginned in unison.

"Clean this up now!" thundered the Head Boy. "And the rest of you!" Percy whipped around so that his eyes sliced through the crowd. "Surely you have something better to do." His superior tone fell a little flat as no one ever took Percy as seriously as he took himself.

"Not really." shrugged Angelina.

There was a quiet ascent that rippled through the common room, but the show was over and people did have other things to do. So, the students started to thin out as many left for their room or exited out the portrait.

Harry was still chuckling as Ron cross the room to join him. "You look pretty cute in little red hearts." joked Harry.

"Aww, come off it Harry," Ron shoved the shorter boy's shoulder, "Rather they would look better on you than someone manly like me." The red head stood a little straighter drawing attention to his advantageous height.

Percy's lecture continued in the background, not that anyone, least of all the twins, paid it any mind.

Harry sighed defeatedly, "I guess it's time to go work on that potions essay."

"Oh, you too!" Ron seemed overly eager to Harry. "Let's work on it together."

Harry's green eyes narrowed slightly reading in between the lines. Ron had obviously not even started and hoped to mooch off him. However, Harry shrugged, "Sure." After all, homework was more bearable when you worked with someone else.

The pair started toward the staircase that lead to the boy's dormitory passing the bulletin board. Harry's eyes caught onto a flash of color that brought him to an impromptu stop. Ron took an extra step before he joined Harry in front of the bulletin board.

"What is it?" Asked Ron over his friend's shoulder.

"Have you seen this?" Harry pointed to the flamboyant flyer sporting a world map.

"Summer Exchange Program?" read Ron, "Mum would tan my hide if I suggested leaving for the summer."

"Ha! Perhaps the Dursley's are good for something. They will be only too happy to not have me for an extra four weeks." Harry scanned the flyer, noting that interested students needed to talk to the Deputy Headmistress. Harry's face shined at the possible adventure. Now he just needed to be selected.

1 month ago

Harry stood outside Professor McGonagall's office clutching the letter Hedwig brought him at breakfast. The letter simply stated that he was to see the deputy headmistress at 10:45am and it had him on edge. He didn't think he had done anything that required discipline lately. It could be about that bastard Black. It felt like everyone was paying even more attention to him than ever. A fact that he definitely found annoying and more than a little exhausting.

He raised his fist and knocked on the oak door with three sharp taps. "Just a minute please." came Professor McGonagall's muffled voice.

Harry's jaw clenched at being held on the edge of a knife, but stepped aside to lean against the wall. Waiting, oh how he hated waiting. His stomach didn't seem to mind as it entertained itself by doing acrobatics while his heart hammered away in his chest. She said to wait a minute, but it had already been several right? At least five minutes, probably getting close to ten. He was starting to regret that second helping of eggs when the door creaked open next to him.

The inky-haired youth sprang off the wall to stand at attention. He probably looked quite foolish to the fifth year Ravenclaw girl who exited the room clutching a thick manila envelope to her chest, and his shoulders fell slightly at the bemused glance she shot him. 'Perfect.' he moaned internally.

"Come in Mr. Potter." rang his professor's voice.

Jolting a little at being addressed while he was still beating himself over looking silly in front of the older girl, Harry hurried into the office. Professor McGonagall sat behind her desk with her trademark square glasses sitting on the very tip of her nose. Her sharp eyes snapped up to the student in her doorway. "Well," she paused as Harry didn't move, "have a seat." She raised an eyebrow at his nervous behavior.

Four quick steps to the chair in front of her desk and Harry was finally seated. He squirmed slightly in the chair, still uncertain why he had been called into her office. His green eyes latched onto the clock over her shoulder. It was 10:47, 47! Hadn't he been out in the hall a lot longer than that.

"Good news Mr. Potter." McGonagall's voice refocused his attention. "You have been selected to participate in this summer's exchange program.

Harry swallowed and smiled a little weakly as relief shot through his system. The news almost seemed too good to be true. "Re-really!" excitement clear in his voice.

McGonagall nodded with the whisper of a smile on her lips, "Indeed. And you have been matched with a guild in Fiore."

Harry reached out for the envelope and packet that she passed him across her desk. "Fiore?" Harry questioned, not at all familiar with the name. Was that a country? The pamphlet was covered in emblems and magic circles.

"Yes, Fiore. Your surprise is not unexpected." Harry lifted his eyes away from the brochure in his lap as his professor explained. "Fiore is separate from the rest of the world. They are a country where magic is openly practiced. So, you can imagine that when the rest of the world decided to keep to themselves, there was quite an uproar. This lead to the Treaty of Slayers, that stated they would remain a completely separate entity from the rest of the world, both magical and muggle. It is incredibly rare for them to accept a foreign exchange student."

Harry blinked dumbly a few times. His mind circled around the new information trying to find places to store it in his brain. A country blocked off from the rest of the world? A country where magic isn't a secret. He was going to such a fantastic place!

"I must impress upon you the importance of this exchange. You are the first student to visit Fiore in over 150 years. You will be expected to do as your told by your guild and not get into any unnecessary trouble." She peered at him over her glasses as if this was what she worried about the most.

He gave a hasty nod when he realized that she was waiting for his response.

"A basic translation spell will be cast to avoid any language barriers and you must pay the required tuition. On Friday, you will be excused from your afternoon classes to visit the ministry to obtain your student visa and send your wand registration to the Fiore council. Make sure to read over your packet in detail and come to me with any questions."

"Umm, Professor?" Harry hedged. Professor McGonagall had been all business and Harry hadn't felt that he could interrupt. "When and how will I get there?"

"It's all in your packet, but the ministry will arrange a portkey for you. Instead of taking the train to King's Cross, you will take a portkey to Fiore."

Harry's head tilted in confusion, "A portkey, Mam?" Did a portkey have something do to with a ship? Was the left side of a ship special?

She looked at him a minute before apologizing. "I'm sorry Mr. Potter. I sometimes forget your nonmagical upbringing. A portkey is a form of magical transportation that can teleport an individual or group over long distances. Fiore is heavily warded to hide its existence and therefore, only a specially charmed portkey can penetrate."

He was still uncertain about what exactly a portkey was, but figured he could ask Ron to explain it in more detail later, and if that failed, there was always Hermione.

"Now, about your guardians." Professor McGonagall continued.

Harry flinched at the mention of his relatives. He had banked on them wanting to keep him out of their house more than their desire to keep him unhappy and under their control. Suddenly, he was doubting their hatred for his general presence. Harry's free hand gripped the wooden seat beneath him as he anxiously waited for the verdict.

"It seems they have no qualms with your participation as long as they are not responsible for your transport. Which the ministry has agreed to accommodate." McGonagall's green eyes met Harry's own and felt rooted to the spot by her penetrating gaze. As the seconds dragged by, his professor's expression softened. "I do hope you take full advantage of this opportunity to both learn and have some fun."

Today

Harry was riding on the high of reuniting with his godfather as he stood on the platform with Ron and Hermione.

"Don't forget, you only have to deal with the muggles for a week before we come to get you." Ron encouraged. "Plus," the red head's shoulders sagged, "you will be saving me from my brother's. You know what they are like. Right? Just imagine being one of a limited target pool." Ron let a shiver pass through his spine.

"I won't be even a second late." grinned Harry as he clasped hands with Ron. The action felt a little empty and a little awkward. The two boys hastily dropped their hands and shuffled away slightly.

Hermione seemed to have no issues with physical closeness and gave Harry a tackle hug. "I'm so jealous, but family comes first." She gave Harry a slightly wistful smile.

Harry recalled her dismay when her parents laid down the law. Either she could study abroad or she could attend the Quidditch World Cup, not both. They wanted at least some time with their daughter this summer. Surprisingly, she chose to spend time with them instead of studying. Why he didn't know, but was glad that she would be there all the same.

"Remember everything, write it all down. Got it!" The scholar fixed Harry with a determined glare.

"Right." he gulped in return. Hermione could be fearsome when you stood between her and knowledge.

The train whistle bellowed over the trio making them turn toward the Hogwarts Express. This was it for almost a month and a half. Cheered slightly at not having to return to the Dursley's just yet, he flashed his friends an ear to ear grin. "Have a good summer!"

"Have a good trip." called Ron over his shoulder as he lugged his trunk to the train.

Harry laughed as Hermione started scolding him. "Just use Wingardium Leviosa. Seriously Ron, are you a wizard or not!" Turning to beam one last smile at Harry she waved good-bye, "Take care Harry, and see you soon!"

The engine hissed, covering the platform with steam. Ron and Hermione quickly disappeared behind the scarlet painted metal of the final car. The Boy-Who-Lived, stood alone as he watched the train carry his friends away for another year. Although part of him was sad to say goodbye, he couldn't actually find it in himself to be sad. He was far too pumped up for his own journey to be saddened by a short separation.

"Mr. Potter!" Harry turned to the source of the voice. A man stood there in brown mustard robes and a pointed hat with a matching belt around the base of the hat's cone. As Harry moved toward the assumed foreign exchange officer, the man got out a pocket watch that opened with three faces.

"Sir." Harry addressed to let the man know that he was ready.

"Ah yes!" The man had an almost bored tone to his voice. "I'm Carl Umbra, Jr. Head of the Foreign Affairs Office."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Umbra." Harry held out a hand. It was only polite. Having gotten a lot closer, Harry now noticed that the man had exceptionally dark, almost black eyes.

Mr. Umbra raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but shook the boy's hand briefly before looking at his tri-faced watch again. "We are short on time Mr. Potter. I assume you have all the necessary paperwork and your luggage."

"Yes sir." Harry nodded. Was it just him, or did this man not want to be here? He was feeling more uneasy the longer he spent with the man who barely made eye contact and kept checking his odd little pocket watch every minute.

"Is that yours there?" The ministry wizard jerked his chin forward.

Harry looked over his shoulder and spied his belongings, the only thing remaining on the empty platform. "It is sir." At the moment, Harry almost wished they had sent a flashy fan over this dismissive wizard. He felt like he was bothering the wizard, when in fact he was only follow the plan as it was laid out by the ministry.

Mr. Umbra's mustard robes brushed past Harry with incredible speed. "Don't dawdle. We need to attach your luggage quickly." the man ordered without even looking back to Harry.

Harry hurried to follow the wizard who was again looking at his pocket watch. A set of dark eyes lifted to Harry when he caught up. Mr. Umbra's hand disappeared briefly beneath the folds of his robes only to reappear with a slim golden ring about the size of a pumpkin. The ministry wizard didn't say a word as he magicked Harry's bags and Hedwig's cage to the ring. There was a small click as each item secured itself to the ring.

"Now, Mr. Potter. This ring is a round trip portkey. At precisely 11am on July 28th it will activate to take you home. To the," he paused to refer to his pocket watch, "second largest bedroom of Number 4 Privet Dr. Little Whinging, the county of Surry." Harry found himself drowning in those two inky pools that were now fixed on his own green eyes. "Do not forget. The ministry will not be financially responsible if secondary transport is needed."

Harry's eyes widened as he got the message. The ministry would not pay to have a second portkey arranged for him if he messed it up. The comment had him wondering how outrageously expensive it was to travel to Fiore. "I understand Sir."

He had been so excited, but a mountain of nerves started knotting in his chest. Everything he had read about Fiore was fascinating. From open magical practices to the guild system, he had been eager to experience it all. Now though, he felt more like a scared little kid who was more lost than not.

The man snapped close his odd little pocket watch and straightened to his full height. Harry took half a step back, intimidated by the powerful aura the mustard man put off. Light flashed across his eyes as the ministry wizard waved his wand through the air. A silver trail streamed behind its point. Harry found himself transfixed by the sight and gasped when the wand fell on his crown. Warm words started to fill his mind. He was suddenly worried that his head might grow in size, as if felt entirely too full.

"It's time. Grasp the ring please." ordered Mr. Umbra nonchalantly.

Harry's blood pumped harder in his veins. That was it? He was leaving now? He'd asked around and knew, at least in part, what to expect. However, he thought there would be some more instruction, some sort of guidance! His sweaty palms grasped the cold metal of the ring.

"Safe travels Mr. Potter." Mr. Umbra uttered as he walked away.

Harry stared wide eyed at the very yellow back of the ministry wizard feeling foolish standing alone on the platform gripping a ring. An involuntary grunt passed his lips as a sudden jerking sensation gripped his stomach and yanked forward wiping the platform from view.

Of all the descriptions he had heard about portkey travel, none of them prepared him for the reality. His bellybutton seemed to lead the way, with his head trailing behind. His hand turned to iron in its grip on the ring as if they had become one entity. The world spun around him in a hazy blur of color. His shoulders kept bumping into his trunk and Hedwig's cage alternately, jolting him every few seconds.

Harry squeezed the world out as best he could, but even with his eyes closed the howling in his ears did not allow him any escape. His stomach rolled as his head spun around the sickening reality. A scream clawed its way out his throat as he wondered desperately how much longer the trip would endure.

A breath of fresh air assaulted his nose as his body slammed into the hard ground. Even though he could feel stable and thankfully solid ground beneath him, the word continued to spin.

"Oh my!" piped a girly voice. "You poor dear!"

"Tsk, how unsightly." scoffed another deeper voice.

"Erza!" scolded the first voice.

Harry tried to make sense of his surroundings, which would be a lot easier if his field of view would stop circling in a blur. It would also be good if his stomach would get out of his throat and go back to where it belonged. His eyes scrunched close as he tried to breathe through the nausea. A breeze cooled his face and arms as the air hit the moisture coating his skin.

"Mr. Harry?" the first voice addressed him again.

Harry felt a light pressure on his shoulder, a gentle hand that seemed to radiate comfort into his body. Was he in Fiore and was there a place he could get sick without embarrassing himself?

"Mr. Harry are you alright?" the feminine voice asked again.

"Perhaps I should go get Wendy." The second voice had taken on a tint of worry.

Harry shook his head. He wanted to make a good impression and that meant he needed to suck it up and find a way to stand. Pushing himself up, Harry Potter took his first (non-spinning) view of Fiore. He had landed in a small courtyard currently clear of anyone else, excepting the two odd women before him. Harry thought that he had grown accustomed, at least in part, to the uniqueness of wizarding society, but these two were in a class all their own.

One woman had snow-white hair that had a slight wave and curl to frame her small face. The color itself was odd enough, but on a woman so young it was really shocking. However, the tiny ponytail that stuck up over her forehead was the odder still. Her clear blue eyes shined happily down at him as he took in her generous curves and flattering dark red dress.

Next to her was another woman with deep red hair, a completely different shade from his surrogate family, the Weasley's. Her's was more like the cherries in a pie than carrots. Her bangs hid her right eye, but not the displeased look on her face. She wore an armored breastplate over her own substantial chest. Harry swallowed, if all the women here were so…gifted…he might never go home. Although, he did wonder why she wore armor on her chest, if her legs were only covered by a little blue skirt and a pair of black boots.

Harry lifted a leg up under his weight, in an attempt to stand. He succeeded in pulling himself up only to start teetering to one side. Both woman's eyes grew round as they dashed forward to catch him.

"Maybe you _should_ go get Wendy." The White-haired woman said worriedly.

The other woman nodded and started let go of Harry's arm. He considered himself very lucky that one - embarrassment was not fatal, and two - that he managed not to vomit.

"I'm fine, just a little," He paused looking for the right phrase. Did motion sickness still apply to magical means of travel? "Portkey sick." he finished, figuring it was as good a term as any.

The red head gave him an analytical gaze, as if trying to discern any deception on his part. Her one visible brown eye searched his for a moment before deciding. "Alright. The guild is not far and then we can have Wendy take a look at you." She latched her armored arm around his again and the three slowly made their way to the nearby building.

 **AN: Thanks for reading. If you have the time, please let me know your thoughts in a review or PM. :)**


	2. The Fairy's Den

**Disclaimer: I do not own either the Harry Potter series or Fairy Tail series.**

 **AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. I will preface this chapter by saying that what the magic council was thinking is addressed a little in the chapter. More answers will be revealed as the story progresses. I hope that you enjoy chapter 2. ;)**

Chapter 2: The Fairy's Den

With every step Harry was feeling better. It seemed getting up and walking around was the fastest way to regain his equilibrium. He was immensely relieved when he felt the hands on his arms slacken.

The three turned when an indignant hoot floated through the air.

"Ah! Hedwig!" cried Harry as he made to dash back to his owl. Hedwig's cage lay on its side holding a very annoyed snowy owl.

Harry's retreat was halted by the hands on his arms. He stared a moment at the hands that prevented him from getting to Hedwig with apprehension. He looked up into the stern face of the red-head. He blinked at the intensity of her fierceness as her grip tightened on his arm.

"We can worry about the animal later. First, we take you to master." The woman's tone communicated that she was not someone to disobey, but he couldn't just leave Hedwig like that.

He tried to wrench his arm from their hands, but both women were remarkably strong. Their reluctance to let him go was confusing. He was sure that they weren't worried about him falling over anymore, meaning they weren't letting him go for some other reason. "Look, I just want to go let her out. She hates being in her cage." Harry pleaded.

The red-head's eyes softened at his words and nodded slightly to the other woman. Harry turned when he felt one hand leave his arm. The white-haired woman sprinted agilely to the cage and opened it. Hedwig hopped out and flapped her wings a few times in appreciation of the ample space. Harry's eyes met with his loyal owl. Hedwig tilted her head at him before flying off into the sky.

"Thank you," Harry breathed, a small smile on his lips.

"Come on Mr. Harry!" chimed the white-haired woman as she looped her arm through his again. He realized that his jaw had dropped as she approached and promptly snapped it shut.

The red head sighed in mild exasperation, "Let's go." Harry turned to the armor-clad woman to see her flick her head to the side. The action swished her bangs back, revealing her other eye.

"By the way Mr. Harry, I'm Mirajane." The white-haired woman ducked her head forward so that she could look up at Harry's face.

Harry couldn't help but notice how open and friendly this woman was. He smiled back at Mirajane. "It's nice to meet you." The recent awkward moment now forgotten. Maybe they didn't keep animals here. Or maybe they were still worried about him. Whatever it was, he couldn't imagine this woman having a single sinister bone in her body. There was no way he was in any danger from her.

Mirajane continued to beam at Harry as they approached the door. "We are so glad that you finally got here."

"Mirajane." warned the red-head.

Mirajane just blinked at the other woman leaving Harry lost. It was an odd sort of welcoming party. He had expected to arrive to officials and maybe even be searched. He did not think that he would be caught between two women like this moments after his arrival. He didn't know what the issue was, but he wanted to relieve the sudden tension. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." Harry addressed the stern woman with a small smile.

She blinked her big brown eyes at him as if his statement surprised her. He continued to smile feeling more awkward the longer the woman remained silent. Finally, she broke eye contact and answered. "I'm Erza."

The three made it to the door and Harry felt all the excitement and jitters return. This was it! He was going to meet the members of Fairy Tail! Mirajane pushed the door open to reveal his hosts for the next few weeks.

"Welcome to Fiore!" chorused the room.

Harry was stunned. His face lit up at the balloons and streamers decorating the large room. He could tell immediately that the characters inside the building were just as odd as the two women he had met, if not more so.

"Welcome Mr. Harry!"

"Glad you made it!"

"Come on in Mr. Harry!"

Voices called out to him in friendly greetings. It wasn't like back home where they were all star-struck. Here it was just an over the top greeting. No one reached out to shake his hand or lunch themselves at him for his attention. They just shouted their happy hellos as he walked through the room.

The women seemed to be leading him to one end of the room characterized namely by the bar that ran along the wall. Harry's mind fumbled over the presence of a bar. Wasn't this supposed to be a wizards' guild, not a tavern? However, even as he thought this he saw the large kegs and steins. Both seemed to indicate the latter.

Harry maintained his smile through his confusion. Something about the place that sent his instincts into overdrive. A tingling crawled at the back of his head, igniting his senses. There was something beyond the fact that he was apparently going to be living in a bar for the next month the he was missing.

His eyes alighted to a small elderly man who jumped up on top of the bar. He wore a white robe lined in fur. He was so tiny Harry wondered if he was part elf, goblin, or some other magical creature that Harry was not yet familiar with. The man stood next to a large crystal ball and Harry's stomach dropped. He really never wanted to see another crystal ball – EVER! The man, however, seemed to be talking to the crystal ball which Harry found odd. People might talk about crystal balls, but not to them. Well not unless they were crazy, and this had Harry wondering what exactly he had gotten himself into this time.

"Ah thank you girls." grinned the little man from his place on top of the bar. Immediately the two women left him standing in the middle of the room alone. All eyes were on him and he fidgeted uncomfortably.

He tried to ignore his back that burned from the cumulative gazes. Choosing instead to focus on the little man by the crystal ball. Now that he was closer, Harry could see that there was a face in the crystal ball. He had to shake himself because the man in the ball looked so much like Dumbledore that Harry had almost said hello without thinking. Luckily, he caught himself before making such a blunder. Although the man in the crystal ball had a long beard similar to Dumbledore's, Harry was fairly certain that even his eccentric headmaster wouldn't wear an American cowboy hat and he certainly wouldn't hold a staff with an ornamental snake.

"Welcome Harry boy!" grinned the small man with open arms. "Come, come!" the man beckoned with his tiny arms.

Harry was hesitant to get closer. His instincts were yelling at him that something was wrong, and the man with the snake staff put off a serious Slytherin vibe that didn't help matters. But, really, there wasn't anything wrong. Harry sighed internally. The last few years may have made him a little paranoid. In his defense, an alarming number of people he met did try to kill him. Thinking of Dobby, he amended they tried to kill and/or maim him.

He forced his feet to move from the magnetic wood. The smiling faces of everyone pressed in on him. He apparently wasn't moving fast enough for the elderly man, because the tiny arm suddenly grew giant wrapping massive fingers around his back. Harry found himself wide-eyed and frightened as this large arm pulled him in so that he stood directly next to the once again small man. What kind of magic was that!? Harry's mind jolted, he had never seen anything like it. Even more impressive was that the man had done this without a wand or a word. Maybe he was some sort of mutant animagus?

"See Gran Doma, Harry boy is here safe and sound." the small man leaned into Harry's shoulder as if they were good friends. This behavior was something Harry was more familiar with. The man wanted to befriend Harry for his own selfish reasons. His hope that the boy-who-lived title wouldn't follow him here, died right there on the bar's counter.

Harry wilted slightly but maintained his fake smile for the room. He looked to the Slytherin in the crystal ball who did not seem amused by the tiny man's show of friendship.

"Don't screw this up or I will bury you under so much paperwork that it will take the rest of your miserable life for anyone to dig you out." threatened the man in the crystal ball.

Harry raised an eyebrow. There was no doubt about it, even if he never sat under the sorting hat, this man was a Slytherin through and through. The short man continued to grin under the stern glare coming from the crystal ball until it was painful for even Harry to watch. Finally, the ball emptied, leaving nothing but the warped room visible in its depths.

The instant the Slytherin disappeared, the room seemed to let go of the collective breath they had been holding. Harry turned to the room at large to see they were all moving about taking down the decorations and complaining loudly.

"This was a total waste of a good morning." grumbled a man with a pipe in his mouth.

"I am so far behind on my drinking." moaned a woman with long brown hair.

"Gyaa! I don't see why I had to even be here!" screeched a boy with a scarf and pink hair.

"Why you little brat!" roared a voice behind him.

Harry turned to find that the small mad was gone and in his place, was a pair of massive legs. His green eyes followed the man's hulking form up and up and up. The tiny man had grown instantly into a giant whose head scraped the high ceiling. Harry gulped at the ominously glowing eyes that shined down at the pink-haired boy.

"And just whose fault do you think it is that we have to babysit a know nothing wizard from the outside world!" bellowed the giant.

"Pshh." scoffed the boy, "Those council idiots don't…"

Whatever it was, the council idiots weren't, Harry never knew because the giant's foot slammed down, crushing the poor boy. Harry's heart rocketed off into space. Murderers! He had been sent into a den of murders! Sweat sprang up on the back of his neck as he tried to remain calm. Did he know any spells that could save him in this instance? His brain frantically searched its files coming up helplessly empty. Harry's hand wavered toward his back pocket and his wand. Even though he couldn't think of anything, the feel of the familiar wood gave him some measure of comfort.

The giant lifted his foot revealing the twitching boy who sprang up a second later breathing fire. Harry backed up until he was pressed fully against the wall. That boy was literally breathing fire! For real flames, like some sort of human dragon! Harry's breaths came in short useless pants. His head hurt from the nonsense and lack of air. Despite the violence, the room laughed as the boy waved his arms frantically at the once again tiny man.

He made himself take slower breaths. If he learned nothing else at Hogwarts, it was how to deal with life threatening situations. Thinking a little clearer, he looked over his shoulder. He had made it to the wall, maybe if he moved very slowly he could inch to the door unnoticed. Yes, then he would grab Hedwig and his trunk and hightail it out of here. He could find some way to survive for a month on his own. Right, this could work! He swallowed nervously as he slid inch by inch toward the door. The guild was still amok with chaos. The red-head from earlier, Ursula or something, had gotten involved. She emitted a venomous aura that immediately quieted the fire breather.

He was getting closer to freedom. His eyes continued to dart around the room making sure that his presence was still being ignored. Looking left, back to the door, he froze. Standing just beyond the door was another boy with messy dark hair, standing with his arms crossed over his bare chest. However, it was the boy's droopy eyes that locked onto Harry's green eyes that made the younger boy freeze.

The shirtless youth looked away as if Harry wasn't anything to be concerned over. Relief let his heart start beating again. Until-

"Oi Master, the kid's making a run for it." The half-naked boy casually jabbed a thumb at Harry.

He'd been caught! Somehow, this wasn't how he had envisioned his death. It had always been a toss-up between growing old or dying at the hands of Voldemort. However, staring up at the giant growing before him, he saw how wrong he had been to only ever consider those two.

Harry clenched his jaw, as his brain switched from flight to fight. He gripped his wand letting the magic tingled up his arm. Brandishing it through the air, he cried, "Rictusempra!"

The bolt of red shot toward the giant, and Harry dashed for the door again. He didn't hold any illusions about being able to fight his way out. The best he could do was stall long enough to escape.

"Ice Make!"

Harry's feet suddenly couldn't find purchase on the floor and just slipped uselessly out from under him. His rear-end and hands banged into the cold hard floor. The biting cold that nipped his fingers surprised him, making the boy look to the floor. His brain might short circuit soon if he didn't stop being stunned at every show of magic. Below him was a sheet of ice. Harry's eyes followed the ice's path to the topless boy whose arms were misting slightly with cold fog. He looked wildly for his wand only to lose all hope when he spotted it on the far side of the door frame.

A long shadow draped over Harry's fallen form. With terrified eyes, Harry looked up to his doom shining from the giant's eyes. The giant fell forward and the Boy-Who-Lived closed his eyes waiting for the blow. Instead of pain, he felt a weight land on his knees. Harry creaked open one eye to peek at his knees. His head jerked back from the angry little man that glared at him from his legs. He knew the old man could feel the trembling in his body, but he didn't have the strength left to put up a front. With no wand and no back-up, he was more defenseless now than ever before.

The tiny man sighed and rapt Harry sharply on the forehead.

"Ow," His hand flew to his scar, for once not because of magic.

"If you understand, then don't do it again." The little man grumped and hopped down.

"Natsu! Gray! You two make sure Harry boy gets settled into the dorms."

Harry remained in his spot on the icy floor. He looked around the room as everyone went back to their business, his eyes fleeting back to his wand every other second. No one even looked his way except for the fire breather and ice maker. Both were approaching him with open annoyance. He was still on the floor, too overwhelmed to do anything more than gape up at the older boys.

"Aren't you going to get up?" Grumped the pink-haired boy.

As if his words jolted him back into a living person, Harry scrambled to stand. Unfortunately, his motions were too quick and he felt himself crash back into the ice. Pain exploded through his chin from the impact. A hand dropped down in front of him. Harry looked up into the serious face of the ice wizard. What else was he to do. He couldn't escape, but he couldn't just ignore the casual acceptance of violence he had witnessed either.

The boy sighed, "I'm not going to hurt you." he shook his hand in front of Harry. "Come on."

Harry's eyes darted between the hand and his distant wand. There had to be a way to get it back.

"Why do you keep looking at that stick?" asked the boy wearing the scarf. Harry's mouth went dry as the destructive wizard loped over to his wand to pick it up without a care. "I mean it's a nice stick for a little piece of wood, but…" He dangled the wand from the tips of his fingers, "It's just a stick."

Anger simmered in Harry's chest as he watched the carless way the boy was handling his wand. When the boy put the stick between his extra sharp teeth, Harry lost all sense of composure. "It's a wand not a stick you prat!" Harry's eyes became two perfect spheres of green and he snapped his mouth shut. The sick feeling, he had experienced from the port key returned in full force. He hadn't meant to lose his temper, but it was too late to take it back now. At least not without a time turner. Harry looked around the room almost wistfully for another Harry, but it was no good. He didn't have a time turner and he was on his own.

"A wand?" asked the shirtless boy straightening and looking at his friend. "That's a wand?"

Harry turned his lead a little, looking up at the dark-haired boy. He sounded almost surprised that what the other boy held was a wand. Taking advantage of their distraction, Harry carefully stood on the ice. His feet slipped a little as he awkwardly made it to the ice-free floor.

"Yes, that's my wand." Harry replied a little petulantly. He had already yelled, what was a little attitude at this point. He stalked up to the holder of his wand who was looking at it like the wand held the world's mysteries. "I'd like my wand back now please." He kept his voice level even though his insides were jumping.

"Yeah, sorry," The pink-haired boy did sound sorry. He grinned, a little abashed at having held the wand for so long.

Harry felt a little of the tension in his shoulders subside as the wand was returned to him. At least he wasn't defenseless now.

"Alright, where's your stuff?" sighed the ice maker. "Let's get this over with already."

"It's out in the courtyard." Harry offered confused. He moved to follow the pink-haired boy, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Harry turned to the dark-haired boy who had stopped him.

"I'm Gray by the way." The boy introduced as he kept a hand on Harry's shoulder and lead him outside.

Harry's brain struggled to make any kind of sense out of his current situation. And when in doubt you tend to fall on familiar habits. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

As they walked Harry's mind mulled over Gray's words. 'Get this over with,' he had said and before the giant/tiny man had said something about 'having to babysit.' Harry hadn't thought much about it then, being entirely too scared to do anything else, but it seemed to imply that he was a bother. Was it possible that they didn't want him here? Harry's stomach churned with acid at the thought.

The scarf-clad boy reached his trunk and bent over to pick it up.

"Ah! Wait! I'll magic it so that…" Harry stopped midsentence as the boy easily picked up the massive trunk and rest it to his shoulder.

The older boy looked at him like what he had been saying was odd. Harry closed his mouth that hung open after cutting his sentence short. The only one he knew who might be able to carry a Hogwarts trunk as easily as the fire breather did was Hagrid.

"What's with the cage?" Gray asked pointing to Hedwig's now empty cage from where it hung next to the trunk.

The two boys looked to Harry for his answer as the three started to walk back to the building.

"Do you think he has something against talking?" Whispered the pink-haired boy loud enough for Harry to hear.

"If he did, you could take a lesson from him." sighed the other with a shrug and shake of his head.

"What's that!" yelled the fire breather.

The ice wizard smirked back, "You talk too much nonsense. I think all that fire has killed your brain cells!"

"Aaarg!" screamed the boy in the scarf as he dropped Harry's trunk. "That's it you pervert!"

Harry might have been more worried for his belongings if he hadn't been captivated by the incredible display of magic before him.

"Bring it on fire gut!" called the dark-haired boy as a crystal blue magic circle floated in the air in front of his fists.

"I'm going to burn -who is the best- into that thick head of yours!" The pink-haired boy had a red-orange magic circle floating in front of him.

"Ice make!" The yelled together. "Fire Dragon!"

"Geyser!" "Roar!"

Harry watched transfixed as large crystals of ice sprouted out of the ground and raced toward the giant fireball. The two magic spells collided leaving Harry in a humid fog. He couldn't see what was happening, which he desperately wanted. A slight blue glow illuminated the fog before him. This was quickly followed by an orange fiery glow. These wizards were incredible! If anything, they felt a little more like super heroes than any of the witches and wizards he had met before. The humid fog continued to obscure his vision, but he could feel the magic alive in the air. His soul sang in response. He wanted to learn magic like this! He wanted to be able to perform even a fraction of the incredible feats before him.

Harry tried to catch what he could of the fight. It seemed to him that the two wizards were pretty evenly matched. Even as they threw insults at one another, there was no maliciousness to their taunts. He got the impression that the two were good friends.

"Give up Popsicle Princess!"

"You first Flame Brain!"

"You two aren't fighting again are you?" shouted a voice from the guild.

All sound of a scuffle halted in that second allowing the fog to lift. Harry stood on his tiptoes as if that would allow him to see better. The clearing air revealed the two boys with his trunk on an icy sled and the boys working together to pull it. Harry turned back to the guild.

Erma stood at the back door nodding with a small smile on her lips and her arms crossed in front of her armor. "Good. It is always nice when you work together." With a quick turn, the woman's scarlet hair whirled around behind her as she reentered the hall.

"Phewww!" came the relieved sigh. "That was a close one."

Just as Harry started to turn back around, the two boys passed him carrying his trunk.

"Hurry up kid. You don't want Master to get upset." Gray commented casually.

Thinking of the deceptively tiny old man Harry jogged a little to keep up with the older boys. At least no one was taking him by the arm this time. Maybe they trusted him a little, or maybe they were just that confident in their ability to stop him if he tried to run.

They lead him back into the guild and up a set of stairs nestled in the corner. The wall was lined with static pictures and not the moving portraits he had grown accustomed to in wizarding homes. It was just another oddity to this place filled with strangeness. It had been quite a while ago now, but Harry clearly remembered how incredible everything seemed the first time he visited the wizarding world with Hagrid. How he felt now, was similar. Each simple bobble and action raised a million questions in his over active brain. He had observed their destructive and violent habits, and yet, they didn't seem dangerous. Honestly, he couldn't rationalize why he felt this way, but he did. Maybe it was this skewed sense of danger that lead him into all the crazy situations he'd been in the last three years. Sighing, he sincerely hoped that he could make it through one more.

 **AN: Thanks for stopping by. I would greatly appreciate you taking a minute to share your thoughts either in a PM or a review. Have a great day!**


	3. Unwanted

**AN: I do not own Harry Potter or Fairy Tail.**

Chapter 3: Unwanted

They reached the second landing that lead to a long hallway with several doors. The wooden floor creaked under their feet as Harry continued to follow quietly. They stopped in front of a door. Gray pulled a key from his dark pants and opened the door for his friend carrying the trunk.

"Ahhh!" The pink-haired boy exclaimed as he gently set down Harry's trunk at the foot of the twin bed.

The room was not overly small, a little larger than the one he had at the Dursley's. It had a bed with a Fairy Tail quilt, a dresser and a small table with chairs. On the far wall was a window. Harry dashed across the room to throw it open causing the other two to look at him curiously. The instant the window opened Hedwig flew into the room and landed gracefully on his new bed. She turned toward Harry and cooed softly.

"Hi girl, did you have a good flight?" Harry addressed his feathered friend.

"Well that explains the cage." commented Gray off handedly.

"Cool! You have an owl!" Harry turned at the comment to see that the one who had carried his trunk grinning wildly. He really needed to learn the kid's name.

"Yes," He paused uncertain how to respond to the over the top excitement, "Her name is Hedwig. Hedwig, this is Gray and…" he left the word hanging in the air hoping that someone would fill in the blank so he didn't keep thinking of him as that one, the pink one and so forth.

"Natsu," the pink-haired boy beamed.

The snowy owl hopped a little on the bed toward the two foreign wizards with a few soft hoots. Harry chuckled lightly and stroked her head softly. Hedwig gave him an affectionate nip on his index finger before taking flight out the window again.

Natsu dashed across the small room to the window and stuck his head out into the late morning air. "Wahhh!" Ducking back inside the room he turned his beaming face to Harry. "So are you a familiar mage?"

The alien phrase ricocheted off his skull, "Sorry, a what?" Harry asked with a tilt of his head.

"He means do you specialize in animal magic?" Gray supplied from where he leaned up against the wall.

Harry stared at the ice wizard with envy. The way he seemed to have it all figured out so that he could lean casually like that was a luxury Harry figured he wouldn't enjoy for a while. "I don't think I'll go into magical creatures. Although I do seem to have an affinity for hippogriffs."

Gray raised an eyebrow at the mention of the powerful creatures. "Then what's with the owl." The boy crossed his arms over his chest partially obscuring his blue tattoo.

Harry's eyes fell on the matching tattoo in red on Natsu's shoulder as he answered. "We use them for communication. Owls are very intelligent creatures."

"You communicate using owls?" repeated the ice wizard skeptically.

Harry nodded trying to remember if the others he had met also had tattoos or if this was something just between the boys in his room.

"Weird." laughed Natsu. "Anyway, both of us stay in the men's dorms as well. I'm in room 5.

Gray pushed off the wall and held out the key for Harry to take. "I'm in room 4. Come down when you are ready for lunch." The two shuffled on out the door. Gray called over his shoulder as they fully reentered the hallway. "Come find us if you need anything."

With a soft click Harry found himself alone in the quiet space of his room. He looked down at the bronze key in his hand. It was attacked to a small keychain with an emblem that matched the tattoo on Gray's chest and Natsu's shoulder. He set the key aside on his table and bent over his trunk to pull out the informational packet McGonagall had given him. He knew the symbol was in there somewhere. He just couldn't remember what it meant.

Picking up the glossy booklet he let himself fall to his new bed. The springs creaked slightly under his weight as he started flipping through the pages. He stopped on a page with several colorful images. The subheading read "Guild Marks." His green eyes scanned the page and stopped on the oddly pointed symbol labeled Fairy Tail. He looked at the key chain again and he could see how it almost looked like a pixie, or he supposed a fairy, running. Looking through the other symbols he wondered if they were all similar or if each guild had its own personality. Did guilds get along, or where they competitive, maybe even rivals. He shook his head dismissing the thought. He was applying to much of a school atmosphere to the professional establishments. Surely, they wouldn't compete with each other like schools did. A grin spread his lips as he envisioned different clusters of magical communities.

His stomach shuttered and growled at him. He let out a little chuckle as he rubbed his disgruntled stomach. "I guess it is lunch time." Fully intent on asking more about the guild marks, Harry got to his feet. His robes fluttered behind him and caught momentarily on the bed post. He frowned slightly. Harry hadn't spent much time here yet, but robes did not seem to be the norm here. On the other hand, he didn't want to wear muggle clothes either as much of his were still oversized hand-me-downs.

The young teen crossed back to his trunk and started to rifle through his clothes looking for something that would allow him to blend in a little. Quidditch robes were out of the question, as were the other cloaks his fingers brushed past. He smiled wistfully as he dug past the most recent jumper from Molly, it was unfortunately too warm to wear it. He finally settled on the most muggle-like of his uniforms. He quickly changed into his slacks and button-up shirt with the Gryffindor crest embroidered on the chest pocket.

Harry paused at the door to take a deep breath. He didn't need to worry, they weren't trying to kill him. He was 90% sure, well ok 80% sure - or - well - he didn't really think they would kill him. He took a step back from the door taking a minute to shake the doubt from his head. Setting his expression into one of determination he stalked out the door.

It was a short distance down the hall to reach the stairs. He bounded down the steps his mind trying to focus on what kinds of food they had to offer when a set of grumbled words stopped him on the final step.

"He is going to be a such a pain."

Harry's heart beat loudly in his ears. They couldn't be talking about him. Why would they?

"It isn't the kid's fault. Don't forget he is only thirteen."

No, they weren't talking about him. There had to be other kids here.

"Thirteen or not, because of him we are under even more scrutiny from the council than normal."

A short silence stretched that had Harry taking one step back up and gripping the handrail with crushing force.

A sigh broke the emptiness, "That's true, and I'd say he didn't ask for it, but surely there was a request made of some sort."

"Exactly!"

Harry flinched at the loud thud against wood on the other side of the wall that hid him from sight.

"You can't even really blame Natsu and the others. They saved all of us. It was the Exceeds' choice to travel here. I don't see how the council can hold us accountable for the sudden magical shift within the realm."

Harry didn't understand most of the conversation. Natsu, he knew was the pink-haired boy he had met. Natsu was so young and yet he had saved his guild! Somehow these heroics had landed them with the unwanted foreigner.

"Yeah well, when isn't Natsu causing trouble. Those magical farts are always looking for ways to stick it to us."

Harry's appetite had evaporated leaving him feeling slightly ill. A rush of air left him as he collapsed onto the steps and cradled his head in his hands. It was his worst fear confirmed. He was a hindrance, a complication. They didn't want him here. He thought of Ron and Hermione and wished desperately that they were here with him. At least then he wouldn't be alone. He could handle not being wanted, after all he had been unwanted most of his life. This was different though. He grew up with the Dusley's, he knew how to compartmentalize that loneliness. These people were strangers to him. A fierce flame of anger burned in his chest. They didn't know him! How dare they judge him based on nothing other than the fact that he wasn't one of them.

The floor between his feet wavered. "Tsk." he clicked his tongue in agitation. He wouldn't let these jerks have the satisfaction of upsetting him. Bullies were all the same no matter their nationality.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Blinking, he turned back to the guild only to be surprised by a face very near his own. A girl about his own age, maybe a little younger, blinked up at him with wide brown eyes and vibrant cobalt hair.

Harry jumped back, forgetting about the staircase and collapsed back onto the steps with a terrific crash.

"Are you alright?" asked the girl sweetly, her eyes full of concern.

Harry nodded mutely as his voice seemed to have taken a surprise vacation at the girl's unexpected appearance.

The girl leaned closer with her hands on her tiny hips. Her two pigtails swinging forward in front of her shoulders as she looks up at him critically. 'What does she want? Why is she looking at me like that? Am I drooling or something?' Harry touched a finger to his chin to assure himself that this wasn't the case only to flinch at the contact. His chin was very tender and even the whisper of pressure he had applied sent shocks through his jaw.

"Don't move. Ok?"

Harry opened his eyes to look at the girl. She had reached out with one hand and left it hovering a centimeter or so from his face. He swallowed heavily before offering a shaky, "I won't."

She gave him a sweet little smile as her fingers glowed light blue and Harry felt the painful tension in his chin evaporate. She retreated her tiny hand and Harry's own hand flew to his chin. The pain was completely gone! His wide round eyes turned to her smiling face. She just smiled up at him. She had two cute little cat ears that held her pigtails and a short red dress.

"Ah, Thanks." Harry uttered a little stunned. Even someone his own age could complete such amazing magic and without a wand.

"No problem." she chirped, "I'm Wendy!"

Harry's brain leapt back into his head letting him smile like a normal human as opposed to the robot he had been imitating. "Nice to meet you. I'm Harry."

She smiled a little wider and offered her hand to him. "It's nice to meet you too Harry dear."

Using surprising strength, the petite girl helped Harry to his feet.

"Are you ready Wendy?"

Harry looked around the girl to the source of the voice. At the bottom of the stairs was a magical creature he had never even heard about. It looked like a white cat, only it walked and dressed like a human. The cat creature wore a dark pink top and skirt with a matching pink bow at the end of her, probably a her, tail.

There was a time where meeting such a being might have shocked him, but compared to Griphook, Dobby and Firenze the little cat wasn't nearly so astonishing. Harry smiled widely as he admired her fur coat, immediately curious to learn more.

Wendy saw Harry's eager gaze and became quite flustered. "Oh! I'm s-sorry! This is-is Carla!"

Harry redirected his attention to the girl and away from the cat. It was really quite hard to ignore Wendy with the wild way she was waving her arms and the vibrant red that stained her cheeks.

Harry chuckled a little to himself, letting go of some of his tension. "It's ok." Harry turned back to the cat who looked up at him with narrowed brown eyes. "It's nice to meet you Carla.

The white feline bowed a little and whispered something hurriedly that Harry couldn't quite catch.

"Carla!" Wendy rushed down to her friend and started talking to her in hushed frantic tones. Harry watched the way her anxiety flitted about her in the air. "I'm so sorry. She isn't normally so cold." The girl started bowing in a frenzy as she apologized.

Harry sympathized. He had been feeling constantly on edge since his arrival and he could easily identify with her distress. He gave her a reassuring smile and held his palms up toward her in an attempt to calm her. "No, its fine. It's my fault for staring." He leaned around Wendy to address Carla, "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It's just," he paused a little weakly, "I've never met anyone like you." He intentionally avoided using words like thing and it, thinking how sensitive some magical creatures can be.

"Hmm." The cat stuck her pink nose in the air, "I am an Exceed."

Harry's stomach chose this moment to make itself known again crying for others to hear. Harry laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. Carla lifted an eyebrow at him while Wendy giggled quietly.

"Come on Harry dear! Why don't you join us for lunch?"

"I don't know." He answered slowly eyeing the cat who didn't seem to like him.

The cat sighed. "Come on. We might as well all eat together."

Wendy smiled as she inclined her head in a gesture indicating that he should follow them. Harry did follow, glad to have someone to sit with. He wasn't sure he would have found the courage to enter the tavern alone after the conversation he had overheard.

Coming around the wall he scanned the tables closest to the staircase. Who was it that he had heard talking? Was it the table with a smoker and a blue-haired man. May-be it was the table with the punk metal guy and the boy in sunglasses. He couldn't discount the table with two men and a woman. The girl could have just not said anything.

"Hurry up Harry dear!"

Wendy's cheery call pulled him out of his musings. He knew it didn't help anything suspecting everyone, but it wasn't something his brain wanted to let go of just yet.

Harry took a seat opposite the blue-haired girl who was happily humming while she waved over someone.

"Did you get settled in alright?" the familiar sweet voice drew his eyes up to one of the woman who had met him outside. M-something-jane. Harry cursed himself inwardly. Why hadn't he paid closer attention?

"Yes, thanks for asking." Harry smiled back.

The white-haired woman beamed at the table. "I'm glad to hear it! Are you all here for lunch?" she continued looking to Wendy and Carla.

"Yes! Carla and I both want tempura today Mira-san."

Did Wendy call her Mira? Harry pondered. He had been certain the woman's name had Jane in it somewhere. The woman nodded kindly before looking to Harry. He didn't have a clue what to order.

Mirajane seemed to have noticed and offered him an out. "Take your time, I'll come check on you in a few minutes. How about some juice for now?"

Harry jumped on the offer. "Juice would be great and," He shot a quick glance to Wendy and Carla, "you don't need to come back. I'll have what they ordered." He may have lacked courage in other matters, but food wasn't something to fear…he hoped.

Mirajane gave him a friendly nod before sashaying off with her tray to deliver drinks to another table.

The boisterous guild chattered around their table. Now that the food had been ordered there was no task to guide their conversation and the silence lasted longer than was comfortable.

"My landlord raised the rent again."

"Are you ever going to actually take on a job?

"Mom wants me to settle down and start a family. Hahaha! Crazy right?!"

The voices pressed in on the trio drawing more attention to their contrasting silence.

The two youths mustered up their resolve to talk at the same time. "Where are you from?" – "How long have you…?"

They both stopped to allow the other to talk and immediately fell back into the awkward silent pit.

"Oh for goodness sake." huffed Carla. "Mr. Harry, why don't you speak first."

Harry and Wendy looked to Carla before their gazes met across the table. Harry smiled, he didn't know why his stomach kept trying to try itself into a big knot, but he was less nervous around the no nonsense cat and the caring girl his own age. He appreciated their openness and consideration even though he was apparently an unwanted presence in the guild.

"How long have you been with Fairy Tail?" Harry asked addressing both Wendy and Carla.

Wendy reflected Harry's grin as she replied, "Not long at all. We haven't even been with the guild a year yet."

"Oh, does that mean that you are new to magic?" Harry thought that maybe she had only just started studying. She was only a little younger than he was after all.

Wendy quirked her head to the side making her pigtails swing slightly with the motion. "No," she giggled, "I've been studying magic for as long as I can remember. I used to be a member of another guild, but…"

Harry's smile shrank a little as he noticed the sad tone that colored her smile.

"Well anyway, we are with Fairy Tail now." She looked up at Harry, her face immediately brightening. "I know they can be a little intimidating at first, but they are a good bunch. Don't let them scare you too much." She gave a little nod in his direction in a show of encouragement.

Mirajane then returned with their drinks. "It'll be a little longer on your food, but I will bring it out soon."

"Thanks Mira dear." Carla commented.

Harry furrowed his brow trying to remember the woman's name. It was eating at him a little that he couldn't remember exactly what it was.

"Ahh,"

Wendy and Carla looked to him curiously.

He leaned a little over the table and spoke in a loud whisper not wanting to be overheard. "I can't remember her name. I thought it was something-Jane, but.." He stopped to look away from the girls.

"You are right. "Harry's eyes snapped back to Wendy. "Her name is Mirajane. However, most of us just call her Mira."

"A nickname!" Harry relaxed as he eyed the woman across the room. "Ok, Mira. I'll remember."

"It's alright you know." Carla chimed sensibly. "No one expects you to remember everything right away."

"Thanks Carla." Harry nodded his head toward the exceed. Then, he remembered that Wendy had also had a question for him. "What was it that you wanted to ask earlier?"

"Oh," Wendy sat up a little straighter, perhaps surprised as being reminded of her earlier question. "I was wondering where it is you come from."

Harry smiled politely. This was a question he was sure he would be getting a lot as he got to know the members of Fairy Tail. "I'm from England. However, my school is called Hogwarts."

"Ha-gu-? Wendy tried to pronounce the foreign name.

"Hog-Warts." Harry enunciated for her.

"Hagwartsu." Wendy tried again.

Harry shrugged internally, close enough. "Right."

"So what is your school like?"

"I'm sure schools here are pretty similar. You go to class, sit down and the professor teaches." He shrugged.

He blinked at the blank stares from the other two. "Don't you have schools in Fiore?"

Wendy shook her head. "May-be, but I've never seen one, let alone been to one."

"Then how do you learn to read and write?" Harry asked perplexed.

"The adults teach the kids. In wealthy families, they might hire a tutor, but that isn't typical."

"Huh," Harry leaned back in his chair as he thought about the concept of no school. Sure there were days where he wanted to sleep in. However, school had been one of his escapes growing up. He couldn't ever fully avoid Dudley and his gang, but at least at school he had a sporting chance. "Ok well, I share a room with four other boys in my year. We have almost all the same classes and get along most of the time." Harry thought back to the previous year when half the school thought he was the heir of Slytherin as the exception. "And we eat together in this huge hall where there is almost an unending supply of food."

"Sounds good, sign me up!"

Harry looked over his shoulder at the fanged smile of Natsu. Just as he was about to respond, a blue cat appeared over Natsu's shoulder. Harry blinked in surprise at the Exceed's arrival.

"Is there fish there?"

The wide smile on Harry's face grew as he took in the intensity of the blue cat's stare. The new Exceed waited without blinking for Harry's reply.

"Yes, sometimes we have fish."

The blue Exceed flew up into the rafters doing loops as he went. His eyes sparkled as he drooled. "Unending fish!" He cheered wistfully.

Harry's eyes remained trained on the flying cat. He had known right away that the Exceed were not ordinary cats, but he hadn't expected them to fly. The sound of scraping wood pulled his attention back to the table. Natsu sat next to him while sitting backward in his chair. Harry's green eyes fell on the deep red of Natsu's guild mark jogging his memory of the question he wanted to ask.

"Carla!" called the blue cat as he descended onto the table. "Can you imagine having unending fish! I would still share mine with you though." Harry noted the slight blush to the male cat's cheeks.

"Hinn." scoffed Carla turning away from the other exceed. "If there was unending fish, your sharing wouldn't mean much would it?"

The blue Exceed's giddiness shattered. Leaving him frozen next to Carla almost white with shock.

"Happy! Snap out of it!" Natsu shook the frozen cat with more vigor than Harry thought was wise. However, the blue cat thawed out and seemed to come to his senses.

"Natsu!" the cat cried as he leapt into the fire mage's arms.

In his little time here, Harry had gathered that people seemed to wear their hearts on their sleeves. There was more drama and liveliness here than an end of year feast at Hogwarts. However, perhaps a change in topic could help the literally and figuratively blue cat.

"This is Fairy Tail's mark, right?" Harry questioned aloud while pointing to Natsu's shoulder.

The crying stopped as their eyes lifted to Harry who innocently waited for an answer to his question. Natsu's contagious grin lit up his face. "It is. Why?" The boy leaned over tauntingly, "Do you want one?"

"That won't be happening." Everyone looked to the floor where the stern voice came from. The small man who could become a giant agilely leap up onto the wooden table.

Harry looked around the table and saw that everyone had grown immediately serious. Wendy stared down at her lap so that her bangs shadowed her face. Carla kept her eyes on the elderly man as did Natsu. The former's smile had deflated into a tight line. The blue cat looked at his feet from where he stood also on the table. His recently shed tears still glistened on his sapphire fur.

Harry's gaze returned to the small man before him. He was struck by how intense the man's glare had become. In some ways it reminded him of how Dumbledore's clear blue eyes seemed to be able to see through him except this man's onyx eyes seemed to pierce into him.

Harry swallowed audibly as he waited for whatever the man was going to say. The room around him had gotten eerily quiet as if no one even breathed. Part of him wanted to look around him to gage if he was right, or if his ears had suddenly stopped working. However, he was trapped in the intense gaze of the man before him.

"I am the master of this guild and you, Mr. Harry, are our guest. For the next four weeks you will be under our care and our protection. As such, you are permitted to roam about the building, but you are not allowed to leave. Also, we have been notified that it is against your country of origin's laws for you to practice magic outside of school. Therefore, you will not be permitted to practice magic of any sort while you are with us. Do I make myself clear?"

The guild master's face darkened as he spoke the last words and ice settled deep within Harry's empty stomach. "Ya-yes s-s-sir." Harry stuttered. His nails dug into the underside of his chair.

"Stop it Master! You're scaring Mr. Harry!" the firm feminine voice sliced through the heavy tension.

They all turned slowly to the one who dared to break the darkness that had descended. Mirajane stood behind Harry with a hand on her hip and a scowl on her face. She puffed out her cheeks as she took the last step forward to deliver everyone's lunch. "As you said he is our guest, and we should show a little more hospitality to our guests."

Mirajane bent over in front of Harry blocking his view of the guild's master. When she straightened the little man's face had selfishly taken half his body's blood supply, making it beat red. Harry jerked back in surprise at the man's sudden change in appearance.

Makarov coughed lightly into his clenched fist as his complexion cleared. "Right, so just to restate." He looked back up to Harry with slightly tinted cheeks. "You may think of the guild as your home. Speak to who you like and do as you please. However, you are forbidden to leave or perform any magic." Without another glance the tiny man hopped off the table and dashed after the bar maid.

"Aww shrimp! I want some!" moaned the blue cat.

"We promised to eat with Lucy remember." Natsu commented to the Exceed who was sucking on his paw drooling as he watched Carla delicately bite into her own food.

"Natsuuuu!" whined the cat.

"Aaah, alright." Natsu grunted as he stood from his chair. The cat quickly flew off to follow. Harry turned in his chair to watch the pair as they headed over to the counter.

"Aren't you going to eat Harry dear?" asked Wendy.

Harry turned to the girl whose gaze was again full of concern. The smell hit him then. The heady scent of fried food wafted up to him from his plate. He took a big bite of what he now knew to be shrimp as his reply. We watched as Wendy's concern shifted into relief. As the salt and savory flavors skidded across his tongue Harry thought to himself. 'Well if this is to be my prison, at least the food is good.'

 **AN: Thanks for stopping by the read the latest chapter. If you have a minute, then please let me know your thoughts on the latest chapter in a review or PM. Until next time, stay awesome!**


	4. Broomstick Stories

**AN: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review. :) As I read the reviews for chapter 3, I was very happy. Even though not all them seemed positive, they all showed that people were feeling the things I wanted them to. I don't remember the line exactly, but at the end of "The Sorcerer's Stone" Hagrid tells Harry he could threaten Dudley with a pair of ears to match his tail. When Harry argues that he isn't allowed to do magic outside of school. Hagrid points out that Dudley doesn't know that he can't use magic. This scene is, in part, what inspired the last chapter. If this isn't enough of a hint, then you will just have to read on. ;)**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter or Fairy Tail**

Chapter 4: Broomstick Stories

That night, as Harry laid in bed, his mind spiraled in an unending cycle. What was he doing here? He came to learn more magic, but he can't perform magic. He came to meet new people and make new friends, but almost everyone seemed to wish he had never come. He came to avoid spending any more time with the Dursley's than was absolutely necessary - at least that one still held.

He rolled over onto his side and pulled the pillow a little more comfortably under his head. His eyes traced the blurry lines cast from the moonlight shining in from the window onto the floor. If the ministry wasn't going to let him do magic, then why did he have to preregister his wand? It didn't make any sense. Well, that is unless this was another ploy. Harry breathed out a lengthy sigh. He didn't want to believe it, but the Ministry would send him off to another country for his safety. They never cared how he felt about things, they just acted in ways that suited them.

He eyed the blur that he knew to be Hedwig's empty cage. She probably wouldn't be back until morning. A bitter sadness welled up inside him. He was so lonely here. His first year at Hogwarts had been hard, but he was in a whole class of new students. Although some of them already knew each other, they were all meeting new people and making friends together. Here, he had been dropped into an already tightly knit group that didn't want to yield to an outsider.

Harry closed his eyes and tried to empty his mind. When that didn't work he tried to think of pleasant things. The wind whipping through his hair on a warm sunny day. The snitch's golden shell blinked in the sunlight. He pushed his broom to speed toward the tiny ball. The gloss of his broom handle was smooth under his fingertips. He was close enough to see the wings fluttering. 'A snitch's wings are really similar to the Exceeds' wings. The two cats didn't seem to hate him especially. Happy, seemed to only have two things on his mind, food and trying to flirt with Carla. The other Exceed, Carla, seemed to keep herself above the drama throughout the guild. She wasn't particularly warm or cold towards him. She was as friendly as you might be to someone you just met and hadn't passed judgement on yet.'

Harry groaned and flopped over onto his back. His hands threaded through his hair as he whispered into the dark room, "I'm not thinking about that anymore. I just need to sleep."

He dragged his hand over his face. It had been such a long day and he was tired. So why wouldn't his brain shut off and let him escape for the next few hours? He resolved to going to sleep and forced his muscles to relax. He thought of nothing except his breathing. 'In-Out-In-Out-, Mira seemed nice too. She hadn't changed from the friendly person he met when he first arrived.'

"No! Breathing, just breathing!" He scolded himself. 'In-Out-In-Out-.'

….

After a fitful night of sleeping, Harry awoke just as the sky was stained with corals and blush. He smiled at the sleeping owl in her cage. She awoke and gave a sleepy hoot as his movement about the room pulled her from her slumber.

"Morning Hedwig." Harry greeted softly with a gentle stroke of her beak. Hedwig responded by blinking slowly at him and then returning her head under her wing.

Harry let out a quiet breath into the solitude. Maybe today would be better. He rolled his eyes. Even to himself the words didn't seem plausible. 'What would Ron say if he were here?' He pictured the tall red-head's face as he walked over to his trunk. Ron's blue eyes looked everywhere for an answer. Harry picked up the broomstick catalogue Wood had given him when his Nimbus had been destroyed. 'I dunno, get in some quidditch practice?' shrugged imaginary Ron.

Harry turned the idea over in his mind. Broomsticks didn't require a wand, so it wasn't technically magic. Was it? Maybe they would let him fly. If that were the case, he could spend as much time in the air he wanted. Pure freedom. He smiled a little as he returned the catalogue to his trunk. His eyes fell on his books and Hermione's voice started to lecture him. "You can't spend all your time with your head up in the clouds. Make sure you study too. You don't need a wand to use your brain Harry."

After getting dressed, Harry crossed the room to his window and stuck his head out into the morning. The cool crisp air filled his lungs soothingly. He loved the way summer mornings smelled. The combination of dew and vegetation always made him think of the world as fresh and new. He breathed in another deep breath of the budding day before returning to the task of picking out something to wear. He would have to find out where he could wash his clothes, and it probably wouldn't hurt to pick up a few shirts. Something more casual than the few dress shirts he had.

Having gotten dressed, his fingers slowly closed over his wand. The simple piece of wood had quickly become an extension of himself. Even when he stayed at Privet Drive, he kept it on him anymore. There was assurance in the holly, a sense of belonging that he needed. Even if he couldn't use his wand, he wanted to have it with him. Harry turned toward the door as he stuffed his wand into his back pocket.

He slowly went down the stairs into the guild hall. Bustling sounds drifting up the stairs surprising Harry a little. Somehow, he hadn't imagined the wizards he had met yesterday as morning people. The sun had only risen a short while ago, and yet it sounded like a herd of elephants were tap dancing in the hall below.

Harry rounded the last step and stood off to the side as he watched guild members rushing around the room. If possible, his hosts were even more colorful than the day before. Many were sporting sparkling hats and flashy jackets. One man, whizzed past with what looked like pinwheels plastered all over his pants. Another woman could barely walk as she had wrapped herself up in a multitude of rainbow scarves.

"Mr. Harry!" Called a sweet voice over the hustle of the guild.

He lifted his eyes to the source and spied Mira behind the bar waving him over happily. He easily returned her smile. Entering the guild this morning was going much smoother than it had yesterday. He pushed down the sick feeling at recalling the conversation he'd overheard and tried to make it over to the bar where Mira waited. He got two steps in before he was whirled around so that the room spun into a blur of colored streaks.

"Sorry about that." chirped a voice in the blur.

Harry felt hands steady him as his head stabilized. He shook his head trying to force it back into focus and looked up at the man helping him to remain standing. The man had a tall top-hat that reminded him a little of Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat except that the man's hat was brown with white stripes.

"Ya alright kid?" grinned the man.

"Ahhh, yeah." Harry uttered less than eloquently. His eyes skidded over the man's outfit. Several rosettes were pinned to his brown jacket and a few on his high reaching hat.

"Good." The man smiled widely down at Harry. "Gotta Dash." With a wink and a little salute, the top-hatted man was gone. A rush of air ruffled Harry's hair as he stood there dumbly. 'Where had the man gone?' His head swiveled around searching for the iconic hat. He finally found it on the far side of the room talking to a petite girl with blue hair. Then, Harry blinked, he was gone again.

"Mr. Harry!" Called Mira again.

Harry left the mystery where it was and continued to cross the hall. It took a few more bumps, but he reached the counter no worse for wear.

"Wow, is it always this lively at breakfast?" Harry whistled as Natsu came barreling in breathing fire.

"Chaaa! I'm all fired up!" roared Natsu.

"Geeze, knock it off hot head." Gray rolled his eyes.

Harry looked over his shoulder as he slid onto a bar stool at the two boys. Fire and ice was already mingling to create a dense fog. The red-head who greeted him yesterday came over and pulled them both into a group hug. Harry couldn't hear what she said, but the boys immediately shook hands with blank smiles painted on their faces.

"Not always. Today is special." Mira's voice answered his earlier question.

Harry turned his attention to the barmaid and leaned his elbows to the counter top. "So, what makes today special?" he asked truly curious.

"Fairy Tail is hosting a children's carnival for the town today. Almost everyone is helping out. Normally, there wouldn't be so many people here this early in the morning, but everyone is eager to set up."

Harry noticed the genuine affection behind her words. It was the first indication he had seen that this group of rowdy wizards might be more than just a collection of magicians. They had a bond. Maybe, they even saw one another as family.

Professor McGonagall's voice echoed in his ears. "While you are here, your house will be like your family." It had certainly been true for him. Harry was drawn from his introspection at the sudden disappearance of Mira's smile.

"I'm sorry Mr. Harry, but you won't be able to attend the carnival." She lifted two sad blue eyes to meet his face.

Harry didn't know what to say. He was disappointed. It didn't make sense to chain him to the building and restrict his magic, but the sight of Mira's sad face was like looking at a wounded puppy. There was some primal part of him that wanted to clear the dark clouds that hung over her.

He put on his best smile and tried to keep the tension out of his voice. "Don't worry about it." We waved a hand casually as if it was unimportant. "Actually, maybe you can help me with something else." Mira perked up at his comment. "I'm a seeker on my house quidditch team, and I was hoping to get some practice in today. Do you think I could go outside to practice for a little while?"

Mira seemed frozen. Her face grinning at him happily unchanging and unblinking. Harry started to wonder if she was alright.

"Umm…Miiira?" he drew out her name as she remained frozen. Harry started to panic as her face started to quickly lose color. "Are you-"

"Sure!" Mira burst alive with all the energy she had saved over the last minute. Her eyes shined with determination. "I will personally make sure you get a full day's worth of practicing." She fisted the air between herself and Harry with such intensity that Harry leaned back a little. "But first…" Her stare bore into Harry as he waited to hear her powerful words. He swallowed and nodded for her to continued. "What is Quidditch?" she whispered conspiratorially.

Harry nearly slid off his stool. She had been so determined and overflowing with confidence that her admittance at not knowing the number one wizarding sport almost blew him over.

"You-you don't know what Quidditch is?" Harry laughed weakly. Surely, she was pulling his leg.

Mira instantly retreated to a nearby corner that Harry noticed was confusingly dark, and was that a rain cloud over her head?! Alarm made him stupid and clumsy. He half stumbled half fell off the stool as he approached the quietly weeping girl in the corner. "M-M-Mi-Ra" he stuttered weakly. What had he done? How stupid could he be for hurting one of the only people here who had been kind to him.

The blue Exceed flew overhead. "What happened to Mira dear?" Happy asked in a voice worthy of his name.

"I-She-Well I-" Harry gestured helplessly at the crouched form of Mira in the corner.

"You talk funny." laughed Happy as he flew nearer to Mira. "Ne-Mira dear, do you know-"

Her wailing grew instantly louder as Happy asked his question. The cat blinked a few times down at the pearl-haired maiden before streaking into Harry's face. Harry's breath caught in his throat as the cat speared him with a dark glare. "You broke Mira dear. What-Did-You-Do?

Harry's desert tongue glued itself to the roof of his mouth rendering him mute. The threatening aura of the blue Exceed was unexpected. The young Brit tried to get his brain to start, but his engine simply refused to turn over. Somewhere in the logic center of his mind he noted that Happy's face was growing darker by the second. The cat's meager anger had been totally eclipsed by the silent overwhelmingly menacing presence behind Harry.

"Who made my big sister cry?" rumbled a dangerous voice.

Harry turned around and shrunk half his size. The immense silhouette of a mountain of muscle towered over him. The mountain leaned down closer to Harry so that he could make out the shock of white hair sprouting from the man's head.

Little Harry took a shaky step backward and backed directly into something warm and soft. He jolted at the contrast and jumped around to see the stern expression of Mira.

"Don't scare Mr. Harry, and don't you have somewhere else you are supposed to be?" Harry looked between the two. Mira was much shorter than the mountain, but she didn't shrink away from his dark power. Her chin jutted out, hands on her hips and flashing eyes clearly said that she was the dominant force.

"But sis." The mountain tried to reason as it deflated a little.

"Don't you 'but sis' me." Mira stomped her foot. "Get out of here now!"

Harry watched as the mountain relaxed into a tall muscular man in a black jacket. He had a scar across his right cheek that defined the man's angular face as much as Harry's eyeglasses and lightning scar defined his own.

"See ya later big-sis." The mountain shot his sister two sad eyes as he shuffled away.

Mira shook her hands at him, encouraging him to hurry along before turning back to Harry. "I'm sorry about my brother. Elfman is really a big softie, but he can be a little over protective." She shot Harry a small apologetic smile as she returned to her place behind the bar. Harry followed her and leaned opposite her against the counter.

"I'm sorry too. Quidditch is a sport we play back home on broomsticks." Harry shot her his own guilty smile as he answered her earlier question.

"On broomsticks?" her voice shot up an octave in confusion.

Harry's guilt evaporated as he started to explain the in's and out's of his favorite wizarding pastime. Mira listed attentively as Harry explained in detail about the three types of balls and the four positions held on each team.

"Here you should eat something." Mira smiled as she slid a steaming bowl of some unknown food toward him.

The warm full scent wafted into his face. Harry shot Mira a wary glance, but she simply smiled and placed a plate with fish and vegetables in front of him as well.

"Thanks." He smiled shakily at her. Yesterday's food had all been excellent and he supposed he shouldn't expect that to change now. He lifted a spoonful of the mysterious white paste to his mouth and was not disappointed. There was a hint of tang to the concoction, but it balanced well with the sweetness of the base. Having quickly gotten over his mild breakfast apprehension, Harry dug into the food prepared for him.

"So, tell me more about Quidditch." Mira hummed as she dried a few dishes behind the counter.

He told her about his first year and catching the snitch in his mouth, much to her amusement. Then, went on to describe how his bones had been removed from his arm after being broken by a bludger. Mira was a great listener as she gasped and laughed in all the right places. Harry didn't even notice that as he talked the guild hall slowly emptied until they were the only two left.

"It must have been awful losing your broom like that." Mira simpered.

Harry nodded a little as he pushed the last of his vegetables around his plate. He wasn't a picky eater, but this tuber didn't quite suite him. "Yeah, it was a real low point for me last year." Harry brightened as he straightened up to peer at Mira. "But, that led to my Godfather getting me my firebolt. It is even more amazing than my Nimbus2000."

"I can't wait to see it!" cheered Mira. "Why don't you go ahead and go get it while I finish cleaning up here."

Harry frowned. "Let me help." He didn't think it was right for her to have to do all the cooking and the cleaning.

The ivory-haired woman's face flipped into a mild scowl. "Now Mr. Harry. This is what I do, and you are our guest." she shook a pale finger at him, before smiling gently and continuing. "I'll be here when you get back with your broom."

A few minutes later saw both Harry and Mira standing in the courtyard behind the guild. Harry looked around the small grassy area. It seemed smaller than it had when he first arrived, but it would do. After all, he turned his face to the sky, the blue above was limitless.

He peeked over at Mira out of the corner of his eye, and his gut soured. He wasn't sure this was really alright. If she hadn't known what Quidditch was, maybe she didn't understand what flying was. 'No,' he argued with himself. 'How can someone misunderstand flight.' At the same time, he didn't want to get her in trouble. "Mira, are you sure this is ok?" He asked turning to her more fully.

She smiled her warm little smile and gave him a nod. "I know I can trust you Mr. Harry."

It was all the encouragement Harry needed as a devilish grin splashed across his face. "Wicked!" he cheered and kicked off the ground.

The morning air whipped through his dark locks and blew away all his anxiety. There was nothing now except the air, his broom and himself. Things always seemed simpler when he flew. His firebolt responded to his smallest whims as he swirled through the air in a barrel role. He relished the whoosh of air that filled his ears effectively drowning out his inner voice that had been a little too loud lately. The sun somehow seemed brighter as he sped through the air chasing the clouds.

"Whoo-hoo!" came a cheer from the ground.

Harry pivoted sharply to turn back toward Mira who stood tiny far below. He could just make out that she was waving up at him from her ground locked position.

He waved back before lowing himself to a more conversation friendly altitude.

Mira called to him again when he came into range. "That's amazing Mr. Harry. I had no idea that you could fly so high."

He noted the slight tremor to her voice and hoped that he hadn't made her too nervous. "It's nothing." he replied reassuringly. "During a game we fly faster and higher."

"Faster." she blinked her deep blue eyes rapidly.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, speaking of," he lowered himself fully to the ground and dismounted his broom. "I could use your help."

Mira tiled her head to follow him as he jogged the short distance to where he left a small bag by the building. Harry dug through the bag and pulled out several normal chess pieces. He had once used wizarding chess pieces, but their screams at being thrown into the air had been so annoying, that he invested in a muggle set.

Mira hovered behind him watching him curiously.

"Here." he held out the white and black game pieces to her.

She took them with a small frown. "What do you need me to do?" She held up the black night for closer inspection, while turning the small piece over in her slender fingers.

"Simply throw them up as high as you can at random intervals. Throw a few up at a time, or all at once. I will try to catch them all before they hit the ground."

Mira's eyes widened as she looked back to her hands. "All of them?" she gasped, "But Mr. Harry, there are over ten pieces here."

"Yeah," Harry returned as he rolled his shoulders to loosen up a little bit. "I know. I really should have brought more down with me."

"M-more!?" she exclaimed.

Harry stopped his stretching to grin widely at her. "Yup, a seeker must be fast." His green eyes flashed with excitement. Mira's face took the challenge as her slack face tightened into fierce determination.

"Well in that case," She dashed back into the building.

Harry shifted his weight on his feet as he waited for her to return. He didn't wait long before Mira reemerged holding a small unfamiliar tool. It was long with a curved end, but Harry couldn't place it.

"What is.."

"You'll see." Mira smiled mischievously.

Harry beamed in acceptance at her challenge. "Do your worst." Harry countered as he kicked off and flew back into the sky.

His keen eyes spotted the first piece as it shot past him. Harry threw himself forward onto the wood of his broomstick. The air whistled past him as he rocked to the small rook. He heart sang in triumph as his fingers closed around the cold stone. He whipped around to search the sky and quickly spotted two more pieces falling toward the earth. He zipped after the white knight first before turning sharply to speed after the black queen.

He turned his broom toward Mira who had an impish smile of her face. Her hand was outstretching in front of her with a black pawn falling from her fingertips. Harry swore as he put all his effort into his speed. The wind screamed in his ears and his eyes watered as he tried to reach the chess piece in time. The pawn was fast approaching the grass below and Harry was not quite there.

"Mr. Harry!" Cried Mira in panic as Harry zoomed past, whipping up her skirt.

Harry cheered a few meters away in the air as he gripped four pieces in his hand. "Yes!"

"It's too early to celebrate." Harry raised an eyebrow at the darkness in Mira's voice. "We are only getting started."

"Right!" grinned Harry as he eyed what he now suspected was some sort of magical sling shot. Mira place two more pieces in the slot and Harry crouched over his broom ready to soar.

….

Harry couldn't wipe the smile off his face. His body was buzzing with satisfaction. Every nerve tingled after a full morning of training. Mira hadn't been lying when she said that she would make sure he got in a full day of training. She had pushed Harry harder than even Wood had as the team chased the Quidditch Cup this year.

She had sent Harry upstairs for a change of clothes and a shower. He couldn't blame her. After that workout, he was in desperate need of both. He ran a towel over his dripping hair. When finished, his fingers traced the scar left from the basilisk fang as he savored the quiet of his mind. He hadn't realized how stressed out he was until he was able to burn it all off. He let a long breath blow out his lungs as he resumed the task of getting dressed. Mira had promised a big lunch for his hard work. Harry's stomach rejoiced at the thought. Mira's cooking was even better than Molly's. Not that he would dare to tell the Weasley Matriarch this, for fear of her wrath.

Things were indeed looking up. If he could spend the next month flying every day, then this was a trip worth making.

 **AN: Sorry guys, I know that the magic restriction thing has not yet been addressed, but rest assured it will be. Thanks for reading and if you are so inclined, reviews are appreciated. Later all!**


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